Expression and localization of utrophin in differentiating PC 12 cells

To ascertain the role of utrophin in cultured neuronal cells, we investigat ed its expression and distribution along the NGF-induced differentiation of PC12 cells grown on different substrata. Utrophin mRNA was measured by RT- PCR assay and utrophin protein was quantified by immunoblot analysis. The d istribution of utrophin and beta-dystroglycan was analyzed by confocal micr oscopy. We demonstrate that utrophin protein was increased dr-fold during d ifferentiation of cells grown on laminin. Concomitant with this up-regulati on, utrophin was enriched at the growth cones in differentiating cells, whe re it co-localizes with beta-dystroglycan. These data suggest the presence of a utrophin-beta-dystroglycan complex in PC12 cells that participates in the formation and/or stabilization of the growth cone-extracellular matrix adhesion. NeuroReport 11:2253-2257 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.